Stanford vs Marquis on Oregon's Cannabis Legalization Future

(PORTLAND, OR) - I rarely see a television show about a key issue, where I know the players as well as those in this week's special KATU Channel 2 News program: 'YOUR VOICE YOUR VOTE On Your Side 2012'. The special interview explores the successes and criticisms of Oregon's medical marijuana program, which seems poised to take another step forward with new, proposed laws to bring sea change to existing state regulations.

The central matter in the current debate is known as OCTA 2012; the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act, which proposes legalization of marijuana for all adults, allows pharmacies to sell marijuana, and growers to legally cultivate the crop.

The predicted tax revenue gain and positive upshot to Oregon's economy is huge, says Paul Stanford of The THC Clinic (The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation), a Portland-based chain of medical marijuana clinics that exist in every state where medical use is legal.

Josh Marquis, District Attorney of Clatsop County, Oregon, says legalizing marijuana is not necessary because the state has already decriminalized possession under an ounce to an infraction, for which a person, according to Marquis, can not go to jail.

He argues that the additional legalization will lead to increased numbers of stoned drivers on the road, and create a public danger.

Stanford disagrees. He says states that have legalized medical marijuana have not seen an increase in use, but the opposite. He also stresses that people already have been using this plant regularly for a long time, regardless of its legal status.

The mediator of this excellent program, is Channel-2's Steve Dunn, the clever, personable news man who is widely known as one of the distinguished night anchors in Portland. It is so important for a station to use an experienced mind like Steve's for an interview of this nature. He's a realist and this interview gives mainstream news a notch up in regard to fairness. I used to work at KATU, as a Salem-based photojournalist and reporter. From time to time when the station's main news operation was short-handed, I would be called up to work for the day in Portland.

While I teamed up with most members of the news crew from time to time, there are those memorable stories I covered with Steve Dunn. It was always fun, as he has equal dashes of grace and humor, and I always had the sense that I was escorting a news legend. I remember once when Steve and I went to the FBI to interview the director in Portland; the director himself holding the door open for Steve like he was visiting royalty, and Steve could not have been more gracious, in fact turning all of the attention back to the senior lawman who ultimately gave Steve a fantastic interview.

In this special program about medical marijuana and changing laws, Steve pitched excellent questions to both Paul and Josh, that I know are on the minds of Oregonians.

They were sometimes hard questions that Paul Stanford in particular, had thought-out, yet brief and powerful answers for. Josh Marquis is also good with words and in the true fashion of an experienced litigator, he knows how to make an argument.

It also showed a balanced view of some of those members of the public who were both for and against the idea of moving to this new phase of increased legalization.

Paul Stanford, for all of the criticism he receives in his high profile position in a controversial movement, is one of the most genuine human beings I know; and there is so much more to Paul than anyone can ever glean from a TV interview. His warm personality connects to an incredible life; traveling the world and meeting people we only read about; visiting countries that are at the center of both conflict and intrigue. What I know for sure about Paul, is that he isn't delivering the information without first having traveled the road of human understanding. He also has an amazing, razor sharp memory, much like Steve Dunn.

He is accused of being a profiteer and I disagree so strongly; Paul is part of a movement that benefits vast numbers of people and he is a non-stop workaholic (sorry Paul) who is always on the go, with so much to constantly oversee.

In the end it is virtually impossible that anyone could be Paul and exist without controversy. All pioneers are heavily criticized, and that goes for our own Dr. Phil Leveque... (Continues in sidebar below)

Josh Marquis is somebody I came to know in my very first media job, as an anchor/reporter for TV10 on the Oregon Coast in 1988. Josh at that point, was a prosecutor with the Lincoln County District Attorney's Office in Newport.

Though he told me when I began working at KATU in 2002 that he didn't remember me, I did recall having conducted quite a number of different interviews with Josh Marquis during that late 80's timeframe. I appreciated Josh's approachable position too when I was 24 and 25 years old, I was very young for the job I was in; totally learning the ropes of electronic journalism. What I recall about Josh, is that he was an ambitious but very personable guy, who had also worked in television, in Eugene as I recall, prior to becoming a prosecuting attorney.

Even though he doesn't remember it, I recall that he was accommodating and had basically an open door policy for me when I needed to drive down from Lincoln City for an interview, if he was around. As far as having faded from this man's memory, it isn't like we were showing up on newspaper covers together or something. Oh, wait... OK it didn't happen more than once that I recall.

Seriously, one reason I think I always did remember Josh Marquis, is because we appeared in the cover photo and story of the Lincoln City News Guard in 1988, when I was the first person to ever take a TV camera into a Lincoln County courtroom.

Laws had recently changed this practice and it did mark an advancement for press freedom, while representing a significant point in Oregon's history, and frankly it blew me away to be the focus of a newspaper's cover story when the paper competed for advertising dollars in the region with my TV station. Still, that is how it was and by the way, Josh was in the background of the cover shot, thank you very much.

A memorable, educational interview

Pioneering Controversy

All pioneers are heavily criticized, and that certainly goes for our own Dr. Phil Leveque, who was part of the operation that Paul runs today, for a long time in the early years. The state took his medical license away because he authorized a medical marijuana permit to a handicapped woman without forcing her to drive to Portland for a repeat physical; she qualified for the card for multiple reasons, it was an unjust circumstance, to trash the career of one of the nation's most educated and accomplished doctors.

I watched the video interview with these power hitters with great interest. Josh had a hard time deciding exactly what the law is regarding marijuana... alternating between statements about how it is nearly legal in Oregon, and then citing that it highly illegal under the federal statute, which still classifies this natural plant in a category with heroin and methamphetamine.

This by any account, is a highly illogical policy and a result of the 'Reefer Madness' era which convinced the American public long ago, that marijuana was a terribly addicting and hazardous substance. In truth, it has never killed anybody in 4,000 years of known medical use.

This all leads to the bigger question; that is, which law does a DA like Josh Marquis concern himself with, state or federal? Obviously his obligation is toward prosecuting state law, which sort of makes the federal argument a moot point.

On most counts, Josh Marquis seemed like he was having to work hard to make his points. He relied on some old arguments and he tried without any question, to make Paul Stanford's business pursuits out to be a personal, money-oriented goal, which I do not believe to be the case, and something Paul himself clearly says is inaccurate. Paul said he is very much trying to bring change that will benefit all Oregonians. In fact Paul stated, "I am not a millionaire", as a correction to a claim issued by Josh Marquis early in the program.

This District Attorney also took shots at the medical marijuana patients themselves, implying that any "19-year old skateboarder who hurts himself" can easily apply for a medical marijuana permit. It is true by all accounts that chronic pain is the reason most people receive a permit to legally use this herb. It is also true that there is a rigorous process that a patient has to go through in order to attain a permit, and if they don't legally qualify, and have a history of attempting to use standard medical care first, they are out of luck. And the stereotyping of a skateboarder is a little offensive to many of us who grew up as hardcore skaters. A lot of athletes who have this sport wired don't go near pot, but then I think stereotypes are essential for Josh's argument, and that's nothing new for the anti-pot crowd.

One large group of people in Oregon who use medical marijuana that I don't recall being mentioned in this program, are military veterans who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, other wars and places and also peacetime. The combat veterans in particular, often live with physical injuries that go beyond Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). They rely on marijuana to keep their lives together. Sadly, PTSD sufferers who can use medical marijuana under California's law, can not in Oregon, as PTSD is not listed as one of the legal 'conditions' under this state's medical marijuana law.

This is a strong bone of contention with Veterans and groups that support them. Stanford says these Vets and others who are criminals for using marijuana, would be relieved of that legal fear and burden under OCTA 2012.

It was a pleasant debate and both men made a good showing. I strongly suggest that anyone interested in OCTA 2012 both watch this program, and read the law, it is easy and then you will be so much better informed than you will by piecing together opinions from the grapevine.

Tim King in 2008, covering the Iraq War

Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

Tim King has more than twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. Tim is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine.

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